C H A P. decree for abrogating that of the 24th of September, declaring a
VIII.
general amnefty throughout all the French colonies; and enact­
ing, that new colonial affemblies fhould be formed, which fhould
tranfmit their fentiments not only on the fubject of the internal
government of the colonies, but alfo on the beft method of effecting
the abolition of negros l a v e r yIN TOTO.
FRANTICK as the new legiflature (b) had fhewn itfelf on
many occafions since its firft meeting, a majority could not at
this time be found to vote for fo fenfelefs and extravagant a pro­
pofition ; but in about two months afterwards, this afTembly
paffed the famous decree of the 4th of April 1792, of which it
is neceffary the reader fhould be furnifhed with a copy at large ;
and it is conceived in the words following:
" THE national affembly acknowledges and declares, that the
people of colour and free negroes in the colonies ought to enjoy
an equality of political rights with the whites; in confequence of
which it decrees as follows:
A R T I C L E 1ft. Immediately after the publication of the prefent decree, the inhabitants of each of the French colonies in
the Windward and Leeward Iflands fhall proceed to the re­
election of colonial and parochial affemblies, after the mode pre­
fcribed by the decree of the 8th of March 1790, and the inftruc­
tions of the national afTembly of the 28 th of the fame month.
2d. THE people of colour and free negroes fhall be admitted
to vote in all the primary and electoral affemblies, and fhall be
(b) T h e former affembly is generally known by the name of the Conftituent
Affembly. T h e new one met the i f t of October 1791, and called itfelf the Firft
Legislative Affembly.